Ohio State: Buckeyes passing game performing at high level

Urban Meyer wasn’t in Champaign, Ill., on Oct. 15, 2011.
It’s probably a good thing he wasn’t. If Meyer had been coaching a football team that completed one pass in a game — one — like Ohio State did that day, he might have needed to walk home to Columbus to burn off the frustration of such a performance.
A little more than two years since Ohio State completed one pass in a 17-7 win over Illinois, the Buckeyes will return to Champaign on Saturday to face an Illini team that hasn’t won a Big Ten game since a week before that fateful day.
With high winds whipping around Memorial Stadium, interim coach Luke Fickell opted to focus on the running game rather than ask true freshman Braxton Miller to go head-to-head with the wind.
That meant a steady dose of running the ball. Dan Herron ran 23 times for 114 yards, Jordan Hall carried it 12 times for 56 yards, and Miller kept it 12 times for 34 yards.
Miller’s only completion of the day came on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburner in the third quarter. It was one of only four passes the Buckeyes attempted all day.
“That’s crazy man,” senior offensive lineman Jack Mewhort said of Ohio State completing only one pass in a game.
Those expecting — or worrying — history to repeat itself on Saturday can put their mind at ease. After all, the Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0) are a little better equipped in the passing game than they were two years ago — no matter what the weather is going to present to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s high octane offense produces 229 passing yards per game.
So it’s safe to say history won’t be repeating itself.
“I couldn’t even tell you,” junior receiver Evan Spencer said when asked how Meyer would react to a one-completion game. “He’d probably go crazy.”
Ohio State’s offense has evolved exponentially not only since that gusty day, but also from last year. Meyer pointed out that as recently as last year’s game against Wisconsin, the Buckeyes weren’t efficient passing the ball.
Miller, now a junior with a firmer grasp of the college game than he had two years ago, is completing 70 percent (108 of 149) of his passes. He is hitting long patterns to people like Devin Smith. He is finding underneath routes to people like Corey “Philly” Brown. And his checkdowns have been precise.
“I can assure you that we’re in a much different place than (Miller) was two years ago. Braxton would be the first one to tell you. Braxton at this point last year — we weren’t real fired up at times throwing the ball,” Meyer said.
“It’s apples to oranges (now), completely different scenario.”
Illinois coach Tim Beckman sees a dangerous team in the Buckeyes. Beckman said what Meyer is doing at OSU offensively is strikingly similar to what was going on when the two coached together at Bowling Green.
Expecting the same result from an Ohio State offense that it saw two years ago isn’t realistic for the Illini — and the maturation of Miller is a big reason why.
“What they’re able to do with him by enabling him as a passer and as a runner just makes his game even more,” Beckman said of Ohio State’s junior quarterback. “I think his passing game has continued to improve as he’s progressed through college football.
“You’re going to have to make sure that you have a timed spy, spy him so that if he does break contain, there is somebody there to address that, but you have to be able to put pressure on him too because he’s got the arm that can beat you deep, so we’re going to have to mix it up.”
Illinois has been susceptible to giving up passing yardage this year. The Illini (3-6, 0-5) surrender 243 yards per game through the air, a number the Buckeyes have surpassed in each of their past two games.
It’s a far cry from the one-completion game of 2011.
“Our passing game has evolved so much now and so many guys score touchdowns for us now that (completing) one pass ... that’s kind of unreal to think about,” Mewhort said.
Ohio State enters the game on Saturday with a 21-game winning streak.
After the Illinois game, Ohio State returns to Ohio Stadium next Saturday for the final home game of the season against Indiana, and then goes to Michigan for the regular-season finale.

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About the Author

John grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ashtabula County, and is a graduate of Grand Valley High School and Ohio State University. Reach the author at jkampf@morningjournal.com
or follow John on Twitter: @JKBuckeyes.